Automatic furnace-regulator.



F. A. RICHARDS. AUTOMATIC FURNACE REGULATOR. APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 4, 1914.

1,123,009. v PatentedDec.29,1914

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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F. A. RICHARDS. AUTOMATIC FURNACE REGULATOR.

APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 4, 1914.

2 SHBETSSHEET 2.

Patented Dec. 29, 1914.

Hm w 'FRA NCIS A. RICHARDS, OF MUSCATINE, IOWA.

AUTOMATIC FURNACE-REGULATOR.

Specification of Letters latentr Patgntd D 29 1914 v Application filed June 4, 1914: Serial No. 843,032.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, FRANCIS A. RICHARDS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Muscatine, in the county of Muscatine and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Furnace-Regulators,-of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to an improved automatic furnace regulating apparatus, and has for its primary object to provide a re-' liable and efiicient electrically controlled means for automatically operating the direct draft and check draft dampers of the furnace by the increase or decrease of the temperature in a room or apartment to a predetel-mined degree. v

In its more specific aspect, the particular object of the invention resides in the provision of a drum, the shaft of which is provided at its ends with crank arms, chains connected to said arms and tothe respective furnace dampers, a weighted cable attached at one of its ends to said drum, a pivoted lever to which the other end of the cable is attached, and an electrically actuated keeper member cooperating with said lever to hold the drum against rotation.

The invention has for still another object to produce a device of the above character for automatically operating the dampers of a hot-air, hot-water, or similar furnace, which is exceedingly simple in its construction, and may be installed at comparatively small cost.

Vith the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in novel features of construction, combination, and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter referred to and more particularly pointed out in the specification and claims.

For a full understanding of the invention,

reference is to be had to the following de-' scription and accompanying drawings, in.

which Figure l is a side elevation illustrating the preferred embodiment of my invention, the

operating circuit therefor being shown in diagram; Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the latch lever in its released position; Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a section taken on the line 4.4c of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the thermostatic switch; and Fig. 6 is a section taken on the line 66 of Fig. 5.

Referring in detail to the drawings, 5 deslgnates a base of suitable insulating mater1al which is secured upon a beam or other stationary support in the furnace 'room. i To the opposite ed es of this base at one of its ends the depen ing bracket plates 6 are se cured and in thelower ends of said plates a drum shaft 'l' is journaled. This shaft is provided upon its ends with crank arms 8 which extend in relatively opposite directions, each of the arms being preferably provided with an extensible tubular section 9.

- This adjustable arm section may be rigidly secured in its adjusted position by means of a setscrew 10. To the extensible section 9 of each of the crank arms one end of a chain 11 is attached. These chains pass over suitable guide pulleys or sheaves 12 and have their other ends attached to the-direct draft damper 13 and the check damper 14 respectively'of a furnace. Upon opposite sides of one of the depending bracket plates 6 spring contact strips designated by the numerals 15 and 16 respectively are secured for a purpose to be hereinafter fully pointed out. Upon the shaft 7 a drum 17 is rigidly'secured. Upon the insulating base 5 adjacent its opposite end a bracket member 18 is secured and upon the depending arm of said bracket member a pair of electromagnets 19 p are mounted, said magnets'beingconnected in series. A latch lever 20 is fulcrumed intermediate its ends upon a bolt 21 mounted in the spaced-arms 22 fixed upon the base 5.- One end of this lever is formed with a downturned lug 23 while to the other end thereof a cross arm 24 is secured. The opp'osite ends of this arm are adapted to engage stop screws or pins 25 fixed in each end of the drum 17 at diametrically opposite points upon its periphery.

26 indicates a keeper plate which is hinged as at 27 upon the base 5. The other end of this plate is rovided with an upwardly projecting obliquely disposed flange or tongue 28. This keeper plate constitutes an armature for the electromagnets 19. The keeper plate is yieldably held against movement by magnetic attraction, when the magnets are energized, by means of a spring 29, said spring maintaining the obliquely inclined' tongue or flange 28 of said plate in engagement with the downwardly projecting lug 23 on the end of the lever 20. To the drum 17 one end of the cable 30 is attached, the other end of said cable being 29, andth gm i ymQ ement-oftheweight connected to the lever 20 at a point between its fulcrum and the lug 23. A-wheel or pulley 31 is movably engaged upon said cable,

and from this wheel a suitable weight in bracket arm'38 also insulated from said base plate. One. end of a wire39 is electrically connected to the depending contact strip upon the base 5 while the other end of said wire is connected toa binding post ongthe base 35 of the thermostat. This binding post is also connected by a wire 4:1 to the tions over the gu depulleys 1 2 and the check terminal 36, r

j 42 designates the battery or other source of electric current, one pole .ofwhich'is connected by awire 43 to the binding post 44 on the base 35., A switch lever is mounted upon said binding'post and is adapted to .be engaged with the head. of, one of the screws 46 which secure thebase 35 upon a wall or other support. A wire $7 is, also attached to the other of the contact strips 16 .to a binding post 481cm the bracket 38.

To the depending plate 6 between the spaced contact strips 1 5 and 16, one end. of a conducting wire 29 is connected, said wlre being extended connected, at its other end to the electric tery, When I energized, the movable keeper plate 26 s magnets 19. Awire .is alsoconnected-to said magnets and to the other pole of the battery 42. A

-With the several parts in the relative positions shown in Fig. 1 of. the drawings, wherein the check draft is open and the direct draftdamper closed, when the temperature in the room or apartment reaches a predetermined degree, say .Z2, them vable thermostatic element operates-to engage the .end of the metal plate 34. with theter ninal 36. ,It being understoodthat thesw tchilever 4:5has been moved into engagement w th e ead he.sc w- =.6.,. a circuit Willthusbe closed {from the battery through wire 43, lever 45, the base 35,- the switch blade .34, terminal 36, wire 41, binding post 40, wire 39, contact strip 15, arm 8 of the drum shaft, bracket *plate 6, wire 49 to the electromag- .nets, and through wire '50 back tothe bat h e t om gn ts th l attracted against the. action oi the spring 3 nnwind the abl fr m -d um 1:7 andcaasessa il dru -t ..ro ate- The dorm wa e pressure ofthe i1ugs ..-2 .5 .-P J1 the end.-

ofthe lever 20 rocks sa d lever uponilts through the insulating base 5 and ment 'of the respectivecliains 11 being not beclosed except throu fulcrum. As soon as the circuit is broken, the magnets are deenergized and the lugs 25 having moved below the lever 20, said lever is returned to itsnormal position by the weight 32, the lug 23 on the end of the lever engaging the tongue 28 of the keeper plate keeper plate is ,returnedte itsnormal posiw' by -manSpf e. w ight 2. uspe ded 1 sea the cab e 3 made -ene-half a revelutionthe stop screws i l. again, ee aseth a m 2%. en t le hk IethQs wk a 0 drum shaf 7 will engage the other of the contactst gips 16. In this-rotation of the drum, the cable 30 willpartly unwind therefrom while the l'llhusafter thedrum has I chains ll will bemove'd in opposite direcdraft damper closed while the direct draft damper is opened. When theten perature in theroom lowers to-the predetermined point, the blade 34 will engage theother of the terminals 37 and the circuit will then, be closed fro n t e battery-.42 through wire 4 .3 1ever 45, the a se plate 35, blade 34, terminal 7 37 ,wir e47 contactstrip 16', the crank "arm 8 of the shaft,'bra cket p1ate 6, wire 49 to. the electromagnets 19, .and then throughfwire 5.0 and back throughthebattery.. llhus the,lgeeper :plate is again moved r me es-site th acco p n n drawms he cee ec m e dm n nnama. i my iepmeaaesa f r c regulator. willbe' clearly and understood. The ,cable 30 is. of such .len

from the drum me isrle lwavered. theprank armb thedr furnace is practically closed. It pbne s the rofis h opera on-sf. he mechan sm can take place, as the I fill-e so attached to the drn ijnlflthat wen the season-ti. contact with .the plate 1 5. 1 find-he v fing. circuit for aetuating -t h ,e ,lieeper itt: can

drum shaft. It is therefore manifest that l, da ge at orb hea sgth u nace by e arra a us. demand; barin the g1,- reptldamper n its position he w Y 1111mm t m w re: fire hea f oithe The apparatus may be satisfactorily em ployed in connection with either hot-air, hot-water, or steam heating furnaces. In view of the fact that the several elements employed areall of very simple form and construction, it will further be appreciated that the invention can be produced at small manufacturing cost.

While I have above described the preferred form, construction, and arrangement of the several elements employed, it will be understood that the device is, nevertheless, susceptible of considerable modification therein, and I therefore reserve the privilege of resorting to all such legitimate changes as may be fairly embodied within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. In an automatic furnace regulator, the combination with the furnace dampers, of a drum, oppositely extending crank arms on the ends of the drum shaft, fiexible connections between said crank arms and. the respective dampers of the furnace, a weighted cable attached at one of its ends to said drum, a lever fulcrumed intermediate of its ends, stop pins, secured to the periphery of the drum at diametrically opposite points, a movable keeper engaged with one end of said lever and holding the opposite I end thereof in the path of said stop pins,

the other end of said cable being connected to said lever adjacent to the keeper, electromagnets adapted to move said keeper when energized and release the leverto permit of the rotation of the drum, and a circuit for said magnets including a thermostatic element adapted to close said circuit upon an increase or decrease in temperature to a predetermined degree, said circuit including spaced contacts with which one of the crank arms upon the drum shaft is adapted to alternately engage.

2. In an automatic furnace regulator, the combination with the furnace dampers, of a drum, oppositely extending crank arms on the ends of the drum shaft each provided with an extensible section, flexible connections between said crank arms and therespective dampers of the furnace, a lever fulcrumed intermediate of its ends, stop pins secured in the periphery of the drum at diametrically opposite points with-which one end of the lever is adapted to engage to limit therotation of the drum, said lever being provided with a lug on its other end, a cable attached to the latter end of said lever and to said drum, a weight suspended from said cable, a spring-held keeper plate having a tongue on one end engaged with the lug on said lever, electromagnets adapted when energized to movesaid keeper and release the lever to permit the same to move out of the path of movement of the stop pins on said drum, an electric circuit for said magnets including a movable thermostatic element adapted to close the circuit upon an increase or decrease in temperature to a predetermined degree, and spaced contact members with whichone of the crank arms on the drum shaft is adapted to enga e.

In testimony whereof I hereunto a x my signature in the presence of two witnesses. 

